The present invention relates to an apparatus for forming a hinged top cigarette box. More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus for forming a hinged top cigarette box having a cross-section with one or more arcuate surfaces from a one piece blank.
A method is also provided for forming such cigarette boxes by engaging the one piece blank with a mandrel, and then rotating the mandrel to align portions of the blank to create inner and outer layers of the resulting box. The wound layers of the box are secured in proper relation using one of several alternative sealing means.
One means of packaging cigarettes is to use a hard, paperboard box. Typically, the box contains a foil wrapped cigarette bundle and has a hinged lid at the top. In addition, the typical hinged top box has hard corners which are necessary for the box to hold its shape.
Many smokers prefer a hinged top cigarette box because such a box can be reclosed to prevent loose tobacco from dropping out and offers better protection for the cigarettes within it. Typical hinged top cigarette box designs only allow for an angular shaped profile and generally have imperfect miter alignment between the top and the body. As a result, a novel hinged top cigarette box having a rounded profile has been designed. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,059. Such a hinged top cigarette box is formed from a one piece blank. However, standard hinged top cigarette box apparatuses are inadequate for forming a hinged top cigarette box having a circular, oval, elliptical or other cross-sectional shape having one or more arcuate surfaces from a one-piece blank as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,059.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an apparatus for forming hinged top cigarette boxes having a cross-section with one or more arcuate surfaces.
It would also be desirable to provide an apparatus for forming hinged top cigarette boxes from a one piece blank.
It would further be desirable to provide a method for forming a hinged top cigarette box from one piece blank, wherein the one piece blank is manipulated so that a first portion of the one piece blank serves as an inner sleeve and a second portion of the blank serves as an outer sleeve and hinged top of the cigarette box.